Health Studies Major, with an emphasis in Health Care Management; Business Administration and Sociology Minors
Hometown: Arcanum, Ohio

As a student ambassador for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, Bryant Weyrick has answered hundreds of questions about the University.

Weyrick is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in health studies, with an emphasis in health care management, this fall after only two-and-a-half years at Findlay, thanks to two years of post-secondary study in high school, but he knows as much about the institution as any four-year student.

His knowledge comes from his involvement in a wide array of activities – Student Government Association (SGA), Health Care Management Network (HCMN), Spanish Club, Fine Arts Society, College Democrats, residence life, peer mentor for Oiler Experience and others.

Weyrick gives prospective Oilers a campus tour.

Weyrick has taken advantage of his involvement to network on campus and meet new people. “Networking is an essential factor for career success. UF has given me the opportunity to be connected,” he said. “Getting to know other organizations though SGA has been beneficial to me ... It’s all about networking and connections in college.”

As a co-founder of Findlay’s HCMN last year, Weyrick has been able to network within his career field, as well. “HCMN has given me the opportunity to connect with other students in my major and build more relationships that can be used when finding a future job,” he said.

The new organization began primarily as a graduate-level group, but as an undergraduate officer, Weyrick has been successful at attracting undergraduate students in a variety of business and health professions majors.

“Our core purpose is to provide a network of students to come together and talk about the profession,” he explained. The HCMN group discusses a variety of topics related to health care management at its meetings, and they tour hospital facilities together and attend health care-related seminars and presentations.

Josephine Kershaw, Ph.D., associate professor of health care management, is the group adviser and has been especially helpful to Weyrick. “Through my courses with Dr. Kershaw, I’ve received many opportunities to explore my field and get experience,” he said. “She gives me the inspiration to excel in my career path.”

Kershaw also is Weyrick’s adviser for his capstone project, which includes researching and writing a paper for publication; researching and writing a business plan for a local counseling services business; completing site visits to a variety of health care facilities; and doing online case studies and simulations from the perspective of a manager of a health care facility.

When Weyrick began his college career at the University, he was a physician assistant major. He realized it wasn’t the right choice and switched to health care management. Later, he added minors in business administration and sociology.

Weyrick encourages new students to take classes their first semester that they may not have thought about while in high school. It wasn’t until he took a sociology class at UF that he learned he was interested in the subject.

Weyrick, center, poses for a photo with other members of the 2009 UF Homecoming court, Adam Houser, left, and Michael Blinn, right.

One of Weyrick’s most memorable experiences at UF was walking through the Griffith Memorial Arch during orientation weekend his freshman year – a tradition at the University since 1923. “The Arch isn’t just some brick and concrete. It symbolizes the beginning of your college career … I’m excited and apprehensive to be walking back through the Arch when I graduate. I’m sad to be leaving The University of Findlay but I also get to start a new part of life, and that’s exhilarating.”

Weyrick plans to pursue a master of business administration degree at the University while gaining practical experience in his career field.